Printing-press.



l. L. FIRM.

PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 30. 1914.

Patented Feb. 1-, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. L. FIRM.

PRINTING PRESS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1914.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET J. L. FIRM.

PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 30. 1914.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETSQSHEET 3.

' above set forthcapable JOSEPH L. FIRM, OF BERWYN, ILLINOIS. ASSIG-NOR TO THE Goss PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PRINTING-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. ll, 1916.

Application filed December 30, 1914i. Serial No. 879,653.

This invention relates to web-perfecting printing presses of the type employing tu-.

bular plates each of a size to print a single newspaper page with the column rules running c1rcumferentially of the cylinder, and

it has for one of its objects the provision of a new and improved arrangement of parts by which a very great flexibility is attained in the matter of products produced with a minimum use of angle bars.

It is another object of my invention to provide a construction by which the printed webs can be formed into a number of complete products or by which such webs can be delivered as a single complete product.

It is another object of my invention to provide a press having advantages such as of being run as a whole to produce one or more products .or capable of having only a part in use to produce a complete product while the remainder of the press is silent.

It is another object of my invention to improve printing presses of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out.

The preferred means by which 1 have accomplished these objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and are hereinafter specifically described.

That which I believe to be new is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings :F igure 1 is a top view of my. improved press; Fig. 2 is a side View of the press shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view looking toward the left in Fig. 1 from about the middle of the press, being taken substantially at line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a View looking to the right in Fig. 1 from about the middle of the press, and being taken substantially at line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

All of the figures of the drawings are diagrammatic in their vices only in a more or less formal manner, and no pretense is made that-the drawings are accurate in the proportions shown. For

Each printing coupl inder 14, an impression cylinder 15 and ink nature, showing the de-- example, the diameter of the form cylinders is exaggerated in the drawings as compared to the length of the plates upon the form cylinder. It will be understood, however, that in building a practical embodiment of my invention the plate cylinders will be of such a diameter as to receive a tubular plate of a size to print an ordinary newspaper page with the column rules extending around the cylinder, the length of the plates longitudinally of the cylinder being controlled by the desired width of a single newspaper page -unless it be desired that a plurality of pages be printed by a single extra long tubular plate.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, 101 1-12-13 indicate press sections adapted to be run by any suitable source of power either independently of each other or in any desired combination. As is shown in Fig. 1, the sections 10 and 12 are longitudinally opposite each other,-that is to say, they are in alinement witheach other longitudinally of the press as a whole. The press sections 11 and 13 are similarly in longitudinal alinement with each other, and in the same sense the press sections 10 and 11 are transversely opposite each other. The press sections 12 and 13 are likewise transversely opposite each other, while the sections 11 and 12 are located diagonally opposite each other.

As is shown in Fig. 2, which shows a side view of the press sections 10 and 12, each of the said press sections comprises two printing couples, one located above the other.

' e comprises a form cyling mechanism 16 of any approved type. As is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each of the plate cylinders 14 is four plates wide adapted to receive tubular printing plates 17 each of a size to print a single newspaper page, as above set forth. In the construction shown the plate cylinder 14: is supported at each end by arms 18 projecting from a suitable portion of the framework of the press (otherwise not shown)- in the manner disclosed by patent to me No. 546,136, granted on September 10, 1895.

1920-21- 22 indicate rolls of paper suitably supported in the framework of the machine in longitudinal alinementwith the press sections 1011'12-13', respectively, adapted to have their webs led through the respective press sections for printing upon both sides thereof in the manner well understood in the art. From each of said press sections the paper passes to a roller 23 where it is divided along its central longitudinal line by a slitter 24 in the well understood manner. For convenience of description of the operation of the device the two webs as cut apart by the slitter 2 1 of the press section 10 are indicated by A and B; in like manner the two webs from the press section 11 are indicated by C and D, the two webs from the section 12 are indicated by E and F, and the two webs .from the press section 13 are indicated by Grand H.

In the preferred mode of operation of my press for producing four eight-page papers, the webs A and E are superposed by means of rollers 2526 from which said webs pass downward over a former 27 by which they are given a longitudinal central fold whence they pass downward to folding and deliveringmechanism 28 of any suitable type. The webs B and F likewise are superposed by means of the rolls 25 and 26 from which they pass downward over a former 29 by which they are given a central longitudinal fold for delivery to suitable folding and delivering mechanism, the folding mechanism 28, in the construction shown, being of a type adapted to fold and deliver two separate complete products. The webs C and G are likewise superposed by means of rollers 30-31, whence they pass over a former 32 from which they are led to a suitable folding and delivering mechanism 33. The webs D and H are likewise superposed by means of the rollers 30- 31 whence they are passed over a former 34 by which they are given a central longitudinal fold for delivery to the folding and delivering mechanism 33 which also is of the type, in the construction shown, adapted to fold and deliver two separate products.

As will be appreciated from the above description, the press is enabled to produce four eight-page products completely folded, without the use of angle bars.

If it should be desired to produce only two eight-page products, this would be accomplished by running either the sections 10 and 12 or the sections 11 and 13, in either instance the other half of the press remaining silent, the two eight-page products being produced as above described without the use of angle bars. If, however, it should be desired to produce only one eight-page prodnot, this would preferably be accomplished by the use of only one of the sections 10111213. In such ca'se,taking the section 10 as an illustration,the web B would be brought downward from the roller 23, turned about angle bars 35-36, passed under a roller 37 and thence over the roller 26 with the web A, the angle bars 3536 being positioned so as to bring the said two webs in the desired superposed position. Webs A and B would then of course be passed over the former 27 for receiving their central longitudinal fold from which they will be passed to the folding and delivering mechanism 28. As is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, each of the press sections 1011. 1213 is provided with aset of angle bars 3536 and a cooperating roller 37, as above described, in connection with section 10, wherebv the two webs from any one of the rolls of paper can be superposed upon each other and delivered as a complete product. In case it were desired to produce three eightpage products, it is obvious that this could be accomplished by using any three sections of the press, the two eight-page products produced by the two press sections longitudinally opposite each other being produced without the aid of angle bars, and the third eight-page product being produced by the use of the angle bars 35-36, as will be readily understood.

In case it were desired to produce a sixteen-page product, this would preferably be accomplished by the use of either transverse half of the press, the webs from each roll being superposed upon each other by means of the angle bars 3536, whereupon the two webs from each end of the press would be brought together by means of the rollers 2526 and passed through the folder in the same manner as that above described for the production of an eight-page product. If it were desired to produce two sixteen-page products, both halves of the press would be used independently of each other, the webs of one of said products being passed over the former 27 to the folder 28, and the webs for the other'complete product being passed over the former 3 1 to the folder 33.

My press is also provided with a plurality of'angle bars 383940-41 arranged substantially in a horizontally-extending plane in such position relative to each other that any one of the webs printed by the sections 1213 can be placed in alinement so that any one of the webs printed by the sections 12-13 can be brought into longitudinal alinement with any one of the webs further to the right, as seen in Fig. 3. For the accomplishment of this result it is necessary that the said angle bars 383940-41 be made adjustable for bringing the webs into proper alinement, as is well understood in the art. Inasmuch as any suitable means for adjusting such angle bars may be used it is not believed to be necessary to illustrate such means or to further describe the same herein.

In case it were desired to produce an eight-page product and two twelve-page products, this would preferably be accom- 'webs F memes plished by bringing the webs A, B and E into superposed position. to be run over the former 27 for one twelve page product, the webs A and B being superposed by the use of angle bars 3536 by bringing the webs H and D into superposed position to be run over the former 34 for a second twelvepage product, angle bars 35-36 being employed for bringing the webs G and H into superposed position; and by bringing the and G into superposed position by the use of the single angle bars 39-40 to be run over the former 32.

In case it were desired to produce an eight-page product and two ten-page products, this would preferably be accomplished by bringing the webs A and E together upon the former 27 for the eight-page product: by bringing the webs F and C and one-half of the web G together over the former 32 for one ten-page product,the web F being brought into proper position relative to the web C by means of the angle bars 394 0, and the web G being divided along its central longitudinal line by a slitter 42 of any approved type adapted to be brought into use as desired; and by bringing the webs D and H and the remaining half of the web G into superposed position to be run over the former 34 for the second ten-page product,-the said half of the web G being brought into superposed position with the web H by means of angle bars 35-36.

As will be appreciated from the above description for the production of an eightpage product and two ten-page products, as above described, the roll of paper 19 would be of only one-half the length shown in Fig. 1, the web B being for this operation omitted. In case it were desired to make a twelve-page product and two ten-page products, a full-sized roll 19 would be used and the operation would be the same as that just described except that the web B would be superposed with the webs A and E for the twelve-page product, this result. being accomplished through the use of the angle bars 35-36 of the press section 10.

If it were desired to produce an eight page product, a ten-page product and a fourteen-page product, this could be accomplished by bringing the webs A, B and E and one-half of the web F together to be run over theformer 27 for the fourteen-page product, the webs A and B being superposed by the use of the angle-bars 35-36 of the section 10, and the half of the web F and the web E being superposed by the use of the angle bars 3536 of the section 12, a slitter 43 of any suitable type being provided for use as desired for the purpose of splitting the said web F; by bringing the webs D and H together over the former 34 for the eight-page product; and by bringing the webs C and G and one-half of the web F 'tions alongside of together over the former 32 for the ten-page product, the half web F being turned laterally by means of the angle bars 39 and 40.

In case it were desired to produce a fourteen-page product and an eighteen-page product, this could be accomplished by bringingthe webs A, B an E and one-half of the web F together over the former 27 for the fourteen-page product, as justabove described; and by bringing the webs C, D, H and G and one-half of the web F together over the former 34: for the eighteen-page product,'the webs C, D, H and G being brought together as above described in connection with a sixteen-page product, and the half web F being brought into proper position by the use of the angle bars 39 and ll.

In case it were desired to produce a. twelve page product and a twenty-page product, this could be accomplished by bringing the webs A, B and E together over the former 27 for the twelve-pageproduct by the use of the angle bars35-36 of the section 10; and by bringing the webs C, D, H, G and F together over the former 34 for the twentypage product, in this case the whole web F being run over the angle bars 40'1l in lieu of the half web F as just above described in connection with the eighteen-page product.

As will be readily understood, it is impossible to produce, by the use of my press as shown in the drawings, a larger complete product than twenty pages, folded in a single section, unless a plurality of webs be run together over one or both of a pair of angle bars. This can be accomplished under proper conditions, but it is not believed to be necessary to go further into details in connection with the products attainableby the exercise of such an expedient.

As will be readily appreciated, referring especially to Fig. 3, if it were desired to do so the centrally-folded webs run over two or more of the formers might be brought together in registry and led thus through one of the folding mechanisms, the pages being thus folded together as a single product but in separate sections. As will be understood, in this way the entire thirty-two pages might be produced as a single two or more sections, if desired.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a printing press, the combination of two press sections located longitudinally opposite each other, and two other press secsaid first-named press sections also located longitudinally opposite each other, each of said sections comprising two form cylinders each four plates wide, separate means for folding and delivering as product in l a separate complete product each of the four plates wide printed by the plates' at the other end of the press, comprising long1- tudinal folding devices located in the straight-run paths of said webs between said sections, alternative means for superposing upon each other the Webs printed by the plates of each section for folding and delivering as a single complete product, and other alternative means for superposing a Web from one of said sections upon the web from one of the sections transversely opposite.

2. In a printing press, the combination of two press sections located longitudinally opposite each other, and two other press sections alongside of said first-named press sections also located longitudinally opposite each other, each of said sections comprising two form cylinders each four plates wide, separate means for folding and delivering as aseparate complete product each of the four webs two plates wide printed by the plates at one end of the press in association with the corresponding one of the four webs two plates Wide printed by the plates at the other end of the press, comprising longitudinal folding devices located in the straight-run paths of said webs between said sections, vertically-disposed turning means two press sections located longitudinally opposite each other, and two other press sections alongside of said first-named press sections also located longitudinally opposite each other, each of said sections comprising two form cylinders each four plates wide, vertically-disposed turning means for superposing the webs printed by each press section upon each other, means for folding and delivering such superposed Webs in two complete products, and horizontally-disposed turning means adapted alternatively for turning a portion of the web printed by one of said press sections for folding and delivery with the product produced by one or more of the other press sections.

JOSEPH L. FIRM.

Witnesses: Y

W. H. DE BUSK, ALBERT H. ADAMS. 

